Blizzard added the Paragon System in patch 1.0.4, and it received a major update, titled [Paragon 2.0] in Patch 2.0.1. After a character reaches the level cap (currently 70), they will begin to earn experience towards their first Paragon Level (PL). There are an infinite number of Paragon levels. Each time a player achieves a new Paragon level, they can choose to raise 1 of 4 stats out of 1 of 4 categories.

Every 10 levels the border around your character's portrait becomes more elaborate until level 100. At level 100, you gain a new portrait feature after every 100 levels. The borders for a female demon hunter are shown above.

The purpose of the paragon levels is to give players a continued sense of progression after hitting the level cap of level 70. While one paragon level can provide a very minor bonus to players, having a paragon level of 200 can provide very significant bonuses to a player.

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Paragon Points also can provide players with bragging rights. To people who play the game a lot it seems like everyone is level 70 and therefore being level 70 is not a big deal anymore. Now with Paragon levels, people who have a Paragon level 400 or 600 character automatically earn some respect. People know that they have played for a very long time which means that they are probably pretty good at the game as well.

Each Paragon level requires you to earn a substantial amount of experience (XP) and each level requires more XP than the last. There is no limit to a player's Paragon Level and the player will continue to gain paragon points regardless of how high their level is.

Pools of Reflection are an in-game feature that grants players a 25% buff to experience gain rates. Pools of Reflection last until a character dies, or they pass a certain point of experience. Pools of Reflection replace a small number of Health Pools, and can be found throughout the game. The buff that Pools of Reflection grant stacks up to 10 times. [1]

Perhaps the easiest way to increase your XP gain (besides Pools of Reflection) is to put a high tier ruby in your socketed helm.

Another option is to find Leoric's Signet that can roll a bonus XP stat between 20% and 30%. This is a low level ring that drops only in Normal difficulty in Act II.

The Hellfire Ring is perhaps the best way to go, but you need to take the time to make one. They are account bound which means you cannot trade them, drop them, buy them or sell them. To make one you need the three organ pieces from the Uber bosses, the Hellfire Ring plan and at least 3 Infernal Machines. The Infernal Machines open each of the three Uber boss portals and to make each of them you will need all three keys and the plans for the Infernal Machine. The Hellfire Ring always comes with a 35% XP bonus stat and it has no level requirement. This means that you can give the ring to one of your low level characters so that they can level up faster.

The final option would be to remove three pieces of your gear and replace them with three pieces of the Cain's Destiny gear set. When you wear three of the four piece set, you get a 30% XP bonus. The pieces are: